JesusEvidences
This section of the Titus Insttute website gives the historical literary evidence for Jesus that demonstrates that the portrait of Jesus presented in the four New Testament Gospels is historically accurate.
There are two kinds of historical evidence, literary and archaeological. The literary evidence comes in the form of testimonies and the archaeological evidence comes in the form of relics.
According to Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier in their book, From Reliable Sources, the basis of our knowledge of the past are “sources.” They write,
"Sources are artifacts that have been left by the past. They exist either as relics, what we might call 'remains' or as the testimonies of witnesses to the past. The first kinds of sources, relics or remains, offer the researcher a clue about the past simply by virtue of their existence. The wooden columns found at the site of a prehistoric settlement testify, for example, to the existence of a people and tell historians something about their culture. The pegs or dowels they used to fasten building materials further enlighten scholars about their technical skills and artistic capacities. In contrast, testimonies are the oral or written reports that describe an event, whether simple or complex, such as the record of a property exchange." (From Reliable Sources, Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier, Cornell University Press, p.17
The literary evidence of testimonies in the form of documents is powerful in bringing understanding of the past because of the nature of documents. Documents are a form of written communication. As we read them, people from the past are allowed to speak to us in the present.
The purpose of this site is to bring you the historical literary evidence for Jesus so that you can read the ancient documents for yourself. Many people talk about the ancient documents, but they are never presented so they can actually be read by those seeking the truth about Jesus. This section presents the text of the documents that speak about Jesus.
As founder and author of this website, my desire is to give you the opportunity to read for yourself the ancient texts. I have been trained at the University of Southern California where I did my undergraduate work in Classics, the study of the ancient Greek and Latin Literature, and learned the value of actually reading the ancient texts for myself and not being dependent on others to tell me about the texts.
As E.M. Blaiklock, Professor Emeritus of Classics, University of Auckland, wrote
"I knew that the first task in understanding a document, any piece of literature or history, was to ask what it has to say, to read it, in a word. Only then is it profitable, and, for a teacher or student, necessary to turn to what others have to say about it."
It is my privilege to give you that opportunity!
Ron Jones, D.D.
President
List of the Early Church Fathers Mentioned in These Articles
Early Church and the Authority of the Apostles
Early Church and the Authorship of the New Testament Gospels
Manuscript Evidence for the Authorship of the New Testament Gospels
Origin of the New Testament Gospels
Dates of the New Testament Gospels
